Zwolsche Krul Celery

A leaf celery that looks like curly parsley. Very ornamental; much stronger flavor than regular celery; used as a culinary and ornamental herb. This is an old Dutch heirloom that can grow to 3’. Very hardy.

I have not tried this leaf celery outdoors or in a greenhouse, but it has done very well in a very large container with Leut hot red Hungarian pepper, placed indoors in an east-facing window. The leaf celery will go wilty if it does not have enough water, but will pop right back up when watered. This helps me to know when it is time to water it's companion, the pepper, which has been producing waves of peppers (about a dozen per wave). The red pepper doesn't seem to change the flavor of the celery much, and we use the celery fresh in salads, pestos, and cooked in soups and stir fry. I always do a fine chop or mince for the celery.
The celery does seem to take a long time to germ and get past a delicate looking stage, but is worth the wait. I cannot estimate the germ rate, because I just sprinkle seeds on top of the soil and keep moist.
This makes a handsome house plant and is yummy,too. Use in moderation until you are familiar with the strength which is more like parsley.

This is a great plant for gardeners with sandy soils. Typical celery has low tolerance for less than the best soil, while this plant is like parsley in its growth habit and soil tolerance, and yet has strong celery flavor. I am in z7 so I expect it to over-winter and self-sow in spring. Using the seeds for flavoring will be quite welcome.

I love this celery for soups and stews. It only takes 3 or 4 of the pencil sized stalks to flavor a whole pot. Very strong flavored if eaten raw. I will try drying some next summer for use over the winter.

We had a plant of this for 2 years, before it had to make room for other crops. It was great for using to get celery taste in the summer for soups and sandwich fixings. However when we tried to move it to a new location, we discovered it was a host plant for root knot nematodes. I will grow it again, but in a large container instead of in the garden beds. All in all a great option in weather too hot for celery.